Mickey’s clients helping our enemies?
I think we all realized that BOG nominee Mickey Barnett’s payday loan clients were sleazy. It turns out that they are also endangering America’s defenses.
This charge comes not from some wacko anti-business activist, but from the US Navy, which was involved in an unsuccessful attempt to pass in Washington State the same kind of payday loan legislation Barnett fought against in New Mexico.
“Rear Adm. William French, the Navy’s Northwest commander, testified that payday lenders deliberately ensnare sailors in debt, hindering combat readiness.”
Well, never mind, as long as the loan sharks pay their lobbying bills on time…
April 3rd, 2006 17:10
following letter going to the American Postal Workers Union and National Association of Letter Carriers:
re: Mickey D. Barnett,
Nominee to US Postal
Service Board of Directors
Mr. Young/ Burress:
As you perhaps know, Mickey D. Barnett has been nominated by the President to serve on the Postal Service Board of Directors. There are some things the Letter Carriers may wish to know about Mr. Barnett concerning his fitness to serve in this position.
First, and perhaps of most important to the letter carriers is Mr. Barnett’s affiliation with the National Right to Work Committee. Barnett was its chief mover in its attempt to make New Mexico a Right-to-Work state. Mr. Barnett’s efforts in opposing organized labor makes his service on the Postal Service Board very suspect and not helpful to harmonious relations between the letter carriers and management.
Barnett is also the New Mexico lobbyist for the payday loan industry. In fact, while serving in the New Mexico Senate, Barnett introduced the legislation that led to New Mexico’s repeal of the interest rate caps on these lending institutions. Consumer groups rate New Mexico as one of the two worst states when it comes to regulating payday loans. Rates can reach 500 percent or more when calculated on an annual basis. Barnett has recently filed suit against New Mexico Attorney General, Patricia Madrid who is trying to administratively regulate the industry.
Given Mr. Barnett’s past record, and controversial deportment, I can’t believe he would or could be fair-minded with your initiatives, programs and ideas.
Sincerely,
Ron Godbey, Retired Member
New Mexico House of Representatives